


Let's Go Do Something

by AsheTarasovich (natalieashe)



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Attraction, Flirting, Food, Insomnia, M/M, No James in This Story, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 15:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9826985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/pseuds/AsheTarasovich
Summary: Q can't sleep.  Alec suggests a trip out.For my dear fellow insomniac.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Boffin1710](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/gifts).



Q thumped the pillow hard, rolled over tangled in the duvet, and finally hurled the pillow off the bed, kicking himself free with a fierce curse. He found his mobile where it had become buried in the bedding and checked the time. 3.27am. Four and a half hours since Moneypenny had kicked him out at his front door with orders to get a decent meal and a full night's rest. He was not to set foot in Q Branch for 48 hours, or Mallory would begin disciplinary proceedings against him. Bastards! They were all against him.

He swung his legs out of bed for the fourth time in three hours and headed for the bathroom to piss. Again. Should never have made more coffee, but the milk was off, and he was all out of Earl Grey. English breakfast tea without milk was an abomination he could not bear, so coffee it was... Strong, black and sweet. Not exactly guaranteed to ensure slumber, no matter how exhausted he was. As he returned to the bedroom, he recognised a repetitive buzzing and dived onto the mattress, tossing the bedclothes onto the floor searching for his phone.

"I'm outside. Let's go do something!"

"It's the middle of the night, 006. I'm in my pajamas."

"So? I know you aren't sleeping. Your bedroom light has flicked on and off at least five times in the last couple of hours."

"Are you stalking me?" Q's feigned indignation at the cocky agent was only designed to hide the little thrill he felt knowing the stupid arse agent 006 was lurking outside his flat. And had been for at least two hours. Fuck! 

"I'm not sure I'd consider it stalking exactly. Just looking out for my Quartermaster," Alec chuckled, and Q could picture him leaning out of the open car window, smoking and keeping one eye on Q's bedroom window to see if he slept. "Did you eat before you went to bed?"

"Yes!" Q snapped. Curiosity got the better of him, and he peeked between the slats of the blind to see if he could spot the agent.

"Something more than toast?"

Q saw a dark Range Rover parked across the street, a narrow plume of smoke and the tip of the cigarette glowing orange in the shadowy night. His traitorous stomach rumbled. "Somewhat less than toast" he admitted. "I need to shop in the morning."

Alec sighed and stepped out of the car. "Get down here, Q or I'm coming up to get you. You'll sleep far better on a full stomach. I know a great place, fantastic eggs. Then we'll stop at a 24 hour Tesco and buy you food for the next few days. Honestly, Moneypenny was right; you really can't look after yourself at all!"

That did it! It was one thing for Moneypenny to boss him around, she'd earned that right, but setting double-o-hottie on him was below the belt. "You are so dead, Evie" he muttered as he marched to his front door, pulling on a hoodie and jamming his bare feet into a pair of scruffy Converse. He ran lightly down the stairs and across the lobby, coming face to face with Alec outside.

The agent looked him up and down, noting the plaid pajama pants and hoodie. "Hmm, well I need to rethink dinner plans, but otherwise, you look good to go. Jump in."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I just came down to..."

Alec smirked and opened the passenger door. "Your carriage awaits, Quartermaster. Not to mention a hearty meal and some relaxation time."

"This is so undignified," Q muttered as he clambered into the passenger seat. Alec joined him in the car, and soon they were traversing the streets heading east. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Somewhere that serves awesome food, and dress-code isn't an issue." Alec grinned at him. "Sit back and enjoy the ride."

Half an hour later Q was hugging himself on the street in a surprisingly substantial queue of people of all descriptions, and in varying degrees of inebriation, waiting to get into what appeared to be an all-night bakery. No one batted an eyelid at Q's unorthodox clothing, though one or two eyed up the tall blond man he was with, dressed in a slightly rumpled, but unmistakably bespoke, suit. Q yawned widely and shuffled forward with the line, only half listening to Alec's banter until the tall man guided him to a stool by a slim counter and thrust a warm, paper-wrapped package into his hands.

"Welcome to heaven in a bag" Alec leaned against the counter beside Q and began eagerly unwrapping his food. The smell that emanated from it was intoxicating, mouthwatering. 

"What is this?" Q breathed reverently, suddenly finding the energy to tear at the paper-wrapped delicacy that smelled so delicious.

"Thick cut salt beef. A generous smear of hot English mustard. Sharp, tangy pickles and all wrapped in a soft beigel. There is nothing finer in the East End than this, my friend. And no place better for food at 4 am when still in your pajamas."

Q couldn't answer. He sank his teeth into the beigel and chewed, blinking hard to clear the mustard-induced tears from escaping from his lower lids. His sinuses benefited too from the hot condiment and the tart pickles. The combination of flavours was incredible, and the whole sandwich had just enough chew to make it satisfying.

"Good?" Alec asked, having already demolished half of his sandwich. 

"Oh my god..." Q managed, between bites, spraying a few crumbs in Alec's direction.

"Yep. Not quite of the same calibre as eggs at 'Duck and Waffle', but as far as awesome food goes, this is pretty damn near the top of my list." Alec waved a bag at Q. "I bought dessert too, but I think we'll enjoy it elsewhere."

The drive back across town was quiet. Slowly the streets became more familiar as they approached Q's neighbourhood, but Alec didn't turn along the road to Q's flat. Instead, he headed towards the Thames, parking the car a couple of streets away from Thames House, the MI5 headquarters.

"Come on" Alec grinned as he jumped out of the vehicle. He had the bakery bag tucked under one arm, and he opened the rear door and pulled out a large carrier bag from the back seat. 

"Where are we going? I thought Moneypenny's brief was to feed me and then send me home to sleep like a good little Quartermaster?"

"Of course it was." Alec was already striding along the street towards the river and Q had to break into a jog to catch him up. "But Miss Moneypenny does not give me enough credit for my ingenious plan to wear you out."

Fuck! That should not sound as bloody appealing as it did. Q hurried his pace to match the older man's longer stride, trotting to keep up with Alec and trying not to think of all of the wonderful options for ending up exhausted enough to sleep. Although how he was meant to sleep when not actually in his bed...

"Here we are." Alec descended the steps at the end of Lambeth Bridge into Victoria Tower Gardens, leading Q through the darkness into the shadowy park.

"What the fuck are we doing here, Alec?" 

Q looked around at the skeletal structures that surrounded them, even more baffled when Alec spread a picnic rug out over the bark chippings and some strange rubber stepping stones. It wasn't truly dark, never was in London, but this corner of the park was away from most of the lights, and even though there was a busy road over the bridge, down here at this hour the sound of light traffic was muffled by the trees. 

"Fresh air. The noise of the water lapping. Good company." Alec pointed to the sky, the river and himself in turn, then sat on one of the raised lumps and roared with laughter when his rubber perch beneath the blanket squeaked loudly. He raised his arse up and sat heavily, making it squeak again. "Come on, Q! You try!"

"You've gone stark raving bonkers!" Q shook his head, confused and slightly concerned that he appeared to be in a children's play area at 5 am with a madman.

"Stop being so stuffy, Q. I have dessert remember?" Alec waved the paper bag, and Q relented, sitting warily on the other rubber lump. "No! You have to make it squeak. Like this!" Alec demonstrated again, chuckling loudly at the ridiculous noise.

"Maybe later. You're supposed to be making me sleepy, not getting me all excited." Q snarked, snatching the bag from Alec and digging into it. He pulled out a cardboard box. "Cheesecake? We have no utensils."

Alec waggled his fingers at Q and took the box from him, scooping up some of the firm, baked creamy dessert and offering it to Q on his fingertips. Q blushed and frowned. "Seriously?"

Alec shrugged. "Stops you getting your precious fingers sticky," he smirked. "Of course if you don't want any...?" 

Q felt like he was on the spot, but not sure what the agent was offering. It certainly didn't seem like simple cheesecake, and Q doubted this was on Moneypenny's list of 'ways to ensure Q sleeps'. Alec was a bastard, and not someone he should get involved with under any circumstances, even if he did spend an inordinate amount of time hanging around in Q's thoughts. The less pleasant thought that maybe the agent was playing him to get a leg over nagged at the back of his mind. Oh, what the hell... In for a penny, in for a pound.

Q grabbed Alec's wrist and closed his mouth around the agent's dessert covered digits, worming his tongue between them and sucking gently. Alec's eyes flew wide, his smirk growing broader. "Fuck," he murmured as Q's tongue danced over his fingertips. The dessert was long since swallowed, but still, Q's mouth worshipped, Q's eyes fixed firmly on Alec's now.   
When he finally let Alec take his hand back, Q wore a matching smirk. 

"It's good. This cheesecake is amazing." Q took the box back and dug his fingers in, sucking them clean repeatedly while Alec watched the motion of his lips, his throat as he swallowed, the quick dart of tongue when he swiped it across his lower lip...

"I'm delighted you're enjoying it so much. Quite... enchanting." Christ, his Quartermaster was a little menace. Alec would give his right arm to tangle with him in the bedroom.

As if reading the agent's thoughts Q jumped to his feet. "Well, it's been a wonderful evening, 006, but I'm feeling rather tired now. Perhaps you would be good enough to take me home to bed?" He began walking towards the park steps leaving Alec to scramble after him, dragging the picnic blanket behind him. The remaining cheesecake lay abandoned in the park for the urban foxes to enjoy.

"You little shite!" Alec chuckled. "That's not the bloody offer it sounds, is it?"

Q shook his head and danced a few steps along the pavement. "No, but I have enjoyed myself. And I guess maybe I wouldn't be averse to doing it again next time I can't sleep. You're pretty good company when you're not a total pain in my arse."

"But 'pain in the arse' is my default mode." 

It didn't matter; Alec could wait. But perhaps he ought to let Moneypenny know that Q thought they were in cahoots. It sounded very much like she could be the ally Alec needed in his pursuit of the Quartermaster.


End file.
